ESC the big story at Auto Test Expo 2007
This year's show emphasized electronic stability control systems, which monitor vehicle operation and determine when a driver is in danger of losing control so they can adjust brake and engine torques.
Dan Romanchik, Contributing Technical Editor -- Test & Measurement World, 11/12/2007 10:13:00 AM
Electronics in automobiles is nothing new. It has been 10 years or more since electronic modules took over basic control functions, such as engine control. What is new is that electronics control is now being used to make vehicles safer and more fun to drive. That's one of the stories from the 2007 Automotive Testing Expo, held October 24 to 26 in Novi, MI.
Antilock braking systems were perhaps the first example of this type of application. They sense when wheels have stopped turning--meaning that the brakes have locked--and modulate brake pressure so drivers don't lose control of their cars.
The next step in the evolution of electronic control is the electronic stability control (ESC) system. These systems monitor vehicle operation, and when they determine that a driver is in danger of losing control of a vehicle, they apply or adjust brake torques individually and alter engine torque to regain control.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has found these systems to be so effective that they are requiring that all vehicles weighing less than 10,000 pounds be equipped with ESC systems by September 1, 2011. The document that spells out this regulation is Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 126, "Electronic Stability Control Systems; Controls and Displays."
Of course, where design engineers go, test engineers must follow. The test procedure that must be performed to ensure that ESC system meet the regulation is TP-126-00, "Laboratory Test Procedure for FMVSS 126, Electronic Stability Control Systems (April 6, 2007)." This procedure specifies the way to condition a vehicle's brakes and tires, the two steering maneuvers performed to test the performance of an ESC system, and the data collection and analysis requirements.
Several papers at the Expo addressed ESC testing, including one by Dr. Ric Mousseau, of General Motors. His paper, "Using vehicle dynamics simulation to evaluate the performance of chassis control systems," addressed test challenges that GM faced in development. One of the techniques they used is hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) simulation. He noted that this was a "powerful tool for understanding test variability."
ESC test was only one of the many topics addressed at the show. Data evaluation and management seemed to be a hot topic, and presentations on data- acquisition technologies, such as LXI, were popular as well. This wide range of presentations--not to mention the more than 300 exhibitors--made this year's Automotive Testing Expo a very worthwhile conference to attend.
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